The biggest threat

I refer to the article "The logic of invasion" (October 22). Eddie Aquilina is probably correct in asserting that the problem of the Sicilians coming to work in Malta is being overestimated, although only time will tell whether this is so should we join the European Union.

What Mr Aquilina fails to mention in his article is that the biggest threat as regards influx of foreign workers is not from the Sicilians but from people in the eastern European bloc, such as Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and other eastern European countries which are aspiring to join the European Union.

This should be evident from the influx of many Ukrainian and Russian prostitutes who for the past years have come to ply their trade in Malta, when probably it is just as easy for them to exercise their trade in other European countries.

Let us not forget that the standard of living in these former eastern bloc countries is much lower than that in Malta and therefore our country should be quite attractive to them, as the wages payable here are much higher than those found in their country. Furthermore, the population of these countries combined runs to hundreds of millions and is therefore exponentially higher than that of Sicily alone.

The problem should also be seen on a long-term basis, say within the next 20 years or so, when most east European countries will probably form part of the European Union. Let us not forget that Malta is a very small country and even a minuscule proportion (out of hundreds of millions) of people from eastern Europe coming to work here could have serious repercussions on our economy.